ESCORTS: Berserker gets Mage Rewards?

[blahblah]

Downloaded 1.4.9 (windows w/ music) from site. Installed, and did the tutorial. Then started a real character (male, human/cornac, berserker). I've run 3 escort missions so far... 1 failed, but the other 2 offered me magic rewards...

+ magic
+ willpower
+ arcane eye
+ vision
+ 0.8 to some magical talent tree (divination I think)

I'm not sure if this is a bug or not. I figured at first maybe each escort provided some random rewards tailored to specific character types (eg: I'd find one that gave mage rewards, another giving fighter rewards later). But, after I got the same mage rewards in a row, I did some googling. The ToME wiki says that the rewards are supposed to be tailored to your character class.

Am I doing something wrong? Has anyone else noticed this?

[darkgod]

No they are not; where did the wiki say that? if it does, it needs fixing

Anyway, no not a bug, escort rewards are meant to allow you to broaden your char's options not focus on what you already do well (though they can also). Take special interest in the talents and talent categories they teach, some may be of use you're not thinking of right now And stat gains while drops in the ocean can be little consolation prices ;=)

[Radon26]

every escort has a fixed rewards the will always offer.
you can randomly find the same escort type, and it wont change, because there is no other potential rewards.

HOWEVER, when you find the escort, there is a check made.
if your character makes no use of magic, AND has visited zigur, with that character, then any magic escort he or she will meat, you will have an option to betray the escort, which will give you a second set for reward.

either way, the rewards are 100%, aside from your choice.
well, ok, there is also whether you find the escort at all. that part is random.

i am pretty sure this is the official viki.
If you want to se talents, then this is the place to see, although it wont say anything else.

[blahblah]

I met a thief and warrior escort mission a day or so after. It's just the first 2 escort missions were mages, and staring at their rewards I was like "I can't use any of this".

I saw the rewards here...

https://te4.org/wiki/Escorts

I guess when I saw the character classes, I thought it meant that if YOUR character was that class, then all escorts would provide rewards like those for your class (so an escort mission would always be useful to beefing up your specific class).

I didn't think of it being the escortee's class (ie: if I escort an alchemist vs. a warrior).

I finally made it to Zigur, and, playing a berserker that's mostly using nature stuff, I went ahead and took the challenge. I have to say, so far I'm not impressed.

I mean, you get immediate penalties, and then only potentially unlock benefits later on. It's sort of an aggravation. My belt of unlife that was keeping me from drowning in water or in collapsed sandworm caves.. yeah, can't use that anymore. "Oh, but we unlocked a special anti-magic skill tree for you... that you need a point to really unlock... and we give you those points few and far between ... and now we're slowly lowering the amount of skill points we give you as you level up... and there's better stuff to level up... so really you losing the ability to use arcane magics in order to give you the opportunity to unlock this skill tree that you can't even unlock or use right now ... yeah, you were a sucker for accepting the challenge, chump!"

That's sort of how I feel about that right now. I "pass" a trial in order to get immediate punishment/penalty, but merely unlock the possibility of future reward which may not even come.

[Dopaminka]

You can choose to betray escorts for better non-magic bonuses, but not take antimagic oath. Also, antimagic path gives you access to two trees, not just one. Maybe it should be more apparent, but it is how it is.

Your other complaints just sound like you have a problem with reading comprehension :/

I guess when I saw the character classes, I thought it meant that if YOUR character was that class, then all escorts would provide rewards like those for your class

How would that make any sense for a lost anorithil to teach you how to disarm traps or give dexterity training just because you're playing a rogue class?

[Radon26]

you don't need to do the AM challenge, to unlock betray. you just need to read the damn sign.
as for losing the magical capacity, yeah, that's on you for not weighting the options. at least, you should have done the worm lair and the lake Before, doing the challenge, or find "of the fish" on something.

also, 2 trees? pretty sure it doesn't, unless you believe that it also gives you moss. or was that fungus?
whatever the name was, pretty sure it was given for finishing the tempest quest, by entering through zigur.

[Micbran]

I understand your complaints on how antimagic might be a little restricting... but you should really try using antimagic with a class that will build willpower/mindpower. Then you'll see antimagic shine a little bit more.

[grobblewobble]

"Oh, but we unlocked a special anti-magic skill tree for you... that you need a point to really unlock...

You get two new trees: antimagic (not locked) and fungus (initially locked)

The fungus tree is unlocked "for free" if you defeat the mad scientist, I mean, that lightning wizard that destroys Derth when you reach level 14. So you do not need to spend a category point to unlock it!

Even so, many people say it is still not worth it to join the mad Zigurites. But as already pointed out, you can betray escorts just fine without performing the anti-magic ritual, that's not required, just an option if you want to try something special.

[Ramidel]

HOWEVER, when you find the escort, there is a check made.
if your character makes no use of magic, AND has visited zigur, with that character, then any magic escort he or she will meat, you will have an option to betray the escort, which will give you a second set for reward.

You get the second option if you've ever read the sign at Zigur with any character, so long as your current has no magic. Taking the challenge and going antimagic is on top of that.

[Mankeli]

The fungus tree is unlocked "for free" if you defeat the mad scientist, I mean, that lightning wizard that destroys Derth when you reach level 14. So you do not need to spend a category point to unlock it!

This is incorrect. If you don't have the category revealed you do need to spend a category point to unlock it. So a berserker will have to use a category point for fungus. Oozemancer does not.

To the OP: Antimagic indeed is restrictive and it's one of the reason it's not really good even on normal and it's worse and worse the higher difficulty level you play on. Also, if you are new to the game, antimagic really takes away from learning what different items etc. do simply because you can't use them.

[kraazivaan]

So if I unlocked the Fungus tree for my Oozemancer before completing the Derth lightning quest, I basically wasted a cat point?

[Number43]

Oh, and those magic talent options aren't useless, as you gain a mana bar if you take any talent that uses it (same for positive energy or any other resource), some of those talents are useful without having good spellpower, and you can hold onto a ring or something that gives mana regen if you need to refill it. To use the examples in the first post, vision is useful for scouting for unconnected rooms you have to dig to, and you can cast arcane eye to either scout around corners, or to peek into vaults before opening them (cast it on the door).

[Micbran]

So if I unlocked the Fungus tree for my Oozemancer before completing the Derth lightning quest, I basically wasted a cat point?

Uhhhh maybe. IIRC Myssil might give you a bonus to the category instead of unlocking it, then.

[ster]

So if I unlocked the Fungus tree for my Oozemancer before completing the Derth lightning quest, I basically wasted a cat point?

You get something like +0.2 to category mastery. But yes, essentially a waste.

To OP: In general escort skills are meant to be usable by everyone, and even if you aren't a mage there's nothing stopping you from picking up sustains like Chant of Fortress or Premonition and turning them on for a (mostly) passive bonus that doesn't require real magic investment, and some more active skills that provide non-offensive utility such as monster detection and teleportation are available. BTW, going into Zigur and reading the sign will let you pick from an alternate set of escort rewards from arcane escorts if you have no spells or runes on that character, which might be more suited to your build.